Its Here! Its Here!

Hey All,

Yesterday the Moore's people came and set up my Tin Lizzie 18 DSL and the Falcon Frame.

I am so excited and can't wait to start pumping out quilts. But first practice practice practice.

This is my 2nd practice muslin.  I wanted to make sure i could remember how to load it myself.  Getting better all the time.

Now I'm off to Minnesota for another business trip.  Can't wait to get back on Friday and practice all day Saturday.  I may even attempt a real quilt.  Maybe.

Have a wonder filled week.

Love,

Aunti

I did it! I did it!

Well folks, I finally did it.  I him-hawed around for a couple of years, but it was finally the right time and the right deal.  This weekend Moore's was having a blowout sale on the Tin Lizzie 18 with the Falcone frame at the Pomona Quilt Festival.  They are supposed to deliver and set it up for me this week.  

Now I'm on a mad dash to finish my guild challenge quilt "A History Lesson" so that when my machine comes I can focus on that.  I have put aside about 4 projects that just need to be quilted.  That should give me plenty of practice.  

Just bought a bunch of batting at Joanne's with my 50% off coupon!  Great use of that coupon.  Also bought a new ironing board cover with the 40% off coupon.  This because I learned what happens when you icon tule today, lol.  Not so good.  Yes, I know, iron it with a teflon sheet, but you know hindsight and all....

Pete and I spent our coffee break this morning, moving furniture around for the new machine this morning.  Found a great place with lots of light!  Of course my actually living room area is more of a cozy little nook now, but hey that's what we use it for anyway.

I'll share the getting started and progress as it happens.

Thank you all for stopping by and I hope you are having a wonderful and relaxing weekend!

Love

Aunti

A Gift for Me!

On Monday I went to my EZ quilters Meeting. EZ quilters is a friendship group that my Mom belonged to for many years and then when she moved out of the area, they asked me join and keep her spot warm.  One of the new members Pat Chambers made these cute little pin cusions for all of us.  I believe she used walnut shells for the insides.  I picked one for Mom and one for me.  I haven't decided if I'm going to mail Mom's or made her drive 10 hrs to get it ;] ....Hey I know that sounds bad but we are always looking for excuses to visit.

Donna and Pat are in charge of philanthropy for our group.  Donna passed around a bag of philanthropy projects and asked if we would like to do one, and of course her bag came back empty.  We don't take much prompting, lol.  New project, cool!  So here is the one I grabbed!









Today my friends Dione and Carol are going with me to the Pomona Quilt Show.  There is a Tin Lizzie 18 DLS Long Arm that I have my eye on.    It comes on a Grace Falcone frame and it seems like a great deal ($5999).  I still have to test drive, but I'm itchin to get it.  

If anyone has any warnings or word of wisdom, I'm all ears....for the next couple of hours anyway.  Cuz after after I buy it, I don't want to hear...."oh you should have done this"...or "oh I have one I could have given you"....hehehe.  Its a big purchase and I'm a little freaked, which is why I am bringing backbone reinforcements.

Well I'm off to the circus, I hope you all get a chance to sew.  Check back here tomorrow, and I'll let you know if I did it!

Have a wonderful Day!
Love Aunti

A Harvest of Plenty

So when you have a cold for 1 1/2 months and you don't feel like doing anything but sitting in front of the TV and blowing your nose and sleeping, what do you do?  Well I read and I quilt or embroider.  That's about it.  Oh and eat and sleep and go to work.  Sometimes I force myself to go into my quilt room and finish a project thats due..for a baby thats due or for previous commitments.

I have read about 5 books from the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child, a little addicted to Reacher.  Just finished the 11th one today Bad Luck and Trouble, You don't mess with Reacher!
Haven't missed much work, but my personal time has been mostly a wash for the last couple of month.  I have spurts of energy thus the minimal blogging.

Meanwhile I wanted to share this project that I'm working on.  This 1st of 9 blocks.  Its from a book by Helen Marshall called The Embroidered Miniature Quilt.  This cornucopia is about 3" SQ.  But there is a lot in that little space.  Mostly followed her directions, with a few variations on stitches and colors.

The book has lots of techniques including neadlelace which you see here in the horn.  You actually sew a border around on a piece of a paper template and then work small buttonhole stitches across and wrap the edges.  The you pull away the paper and lay it over a couple layers of batting and sew it down.  I used a Perle cotton Variagated that I picked up from the Wool Lady in Temecul and I love how it turned out.  The benefit is of being sick is that my multitasking is reduced and I can only focus on one thing.  I can actually follow instructions, imagine!

The pineapple was satin stitch sewn over batting.  I must have been feeling better, because I did a variation from hers.  Then a trelis over top of it and a bunch of boolean knots on the top, which were as she directed.

As I said this is one of 9 and I'll post them as I get them done.  The whole quilt is only about 24" Square.  Fun project though!

Mom bought her Sweet Sixteen and is quilting up a storm up there in Northern Cali.  She bought the table mounted one and is having a ball.  I can't wait to see her results.  She's already an amazing quilter, so this will just inspire her to the next level.  Can't wait to visit her and use it.  Or get my own, hehehehe.

I hope you all are keeping away from this nasty bug which will just not go away and that you get some time for yourselves.

Love to All,
Aunti Nic

The Fernandez Boyz Quilts

 Congratulations to my friends Patty and Jorge, they had a new addition to their family.   This is Aaron Daniel Fernandez. Is this boy adorable or what?

So of course I had to make him a little quilt.  Very fun little puppy fabric.

For the label I took a photo of one of the little paw prints and used Photoshop Elements to put some text on it.

His big brother Aiden was born in 2009 and for some reason I did not do my Aunti diligence.  Turns out he has a thing about choo-choo trains.   I saw this train fabric at Calico House in Brea and thought of him.  I am not usually into panels, but these just fit the bill so perfectly.  My husband Pete had the idea of just cross hatching the panels and I love the way it turned out.  This is a big boy quilt, about twice as big as his little brother's.  That ought to do it!

The label was screen captured from an image on line and kind of colorized with Photoshop Elements. 





I hope you all get to sew this week!
Cheers,
Aunti Nicole

Road was Packed!

I am happy to report that Road California was busy busy busy.  Lots of wonderful quilts to see and lots of people.  Great news for the quilting industry!

We had a great day at the show yesterday and saw everything we could in one day!

And yes, cracked the wallet open and picked up some goodies.

3 yards of lovely!  I got this from Natalie's Beyond the Reef, not sure what to do with it yet but it was talking to me.  Trendex BD-003R.










A couple of patterns of Kenna Ogg of Madison Cottage Design, go Kenna!  I feel a scrappy quilt coming on!

Picked out a border template for a hand quilt that I have been working on for .....3 years (yeah i know!)

Been looking for clamps for quilt sandwiching.  Found these little gems at the gadget booth.  They work pretty well.   Sandwiched two quilts this morning! 

Ok thats it, I did my part for the quilting economy.

Hope you all have a wonderful week and find some time to sew.
Love
Aunti

On the Road Again!

Off you Road to California!  I've heard great things so far.

Special exhibit by Susan Else Fabric Sculptor.  Mom was very impressed with this exhibit, it shows her quilting from back in the 90's when she was doing more traditional quilts with her outside of the box selection of fabrics and a little sumpin different.  All the way to the present where she is coming "off the wall" so to speak with her art and pushing the limits.  Can't wait to see it for myself!

Our friend Natalie's booth is right up front near the entrance Beyond the Reef with lots of bright shiny new fabrics to play with.  We're coming Natalie!

Mom (Jane St. Pierre) has a piece in this show.  She is one of the 8 in  "Sprague River Aspens" Part of the Klamath Basin Vistas Exhibit hanging right near the front entrance.  I'll put in the picture lata!

So we have a new friend coming along with us.  I was teaching and AutoCAD Electrical class and explaining how I design my quilts to one of my students.  He said what quilt guild to you belong to and I said Flying Geese. He smiled and he told me that his wife was a new member in the guild about a year.  So the next guild meeting I made it a point of looking for her.  So I'm asking everyone do you know Debbie and she turns around, she's right in front of me.  I'm Debbie ;]    So we're bring our new friend with us today.  I am looking forward to getting to know her.  Guilds are a wonderful thing.

So I'll take lots of pictures and have lots share hopefully.

Hope to see you there!